A Decorated Veteran's Removal

A decorated United States Army veteran, Jose Barco, 39, was deported to Mexico on Friday, November 14, 2025, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The deportation from a detention facility in Florence, Arizona, occurred at approximately 4:00 AM, according to Arizona State Representative Raquel Terán. Barco, who was born in Venezuela after his family fled Cuba, served two tours in Iraq and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat. His removal from the U.S., a country he lived in since he was four years old, follows a 15-year prison sentence for an attempted murder conviction.

From Battlefield to Prison to Deportation

Jose Barco enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17 and served as an infantryman. During one deployment, he was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED), receiving a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and later being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In October 2009, Barco was convicted of attempted murder and other charges after firing a gun at a house party in Colorado Springs, injuring a 19-year-old pregnant woman. He was sentenced to 52 years in prison, which was later reduced, and he was released on parole in January 2025 after serving 15 years. Upon his release, he was immediately detained by ICE, initiating removal proceedings.

Barco’s legal team and family have stated that his citizenship application, filed while he was in the military, was lost by federal agencies. A former commanding officer reportedly helped him complete and submit the application, which should have been processed by the end of 2006. Without citizenship, his legal permanent resident status was vulnerable due to the felony conviction. An immigration judge denied his appeals for relief, including an application for asylum, in September 2025, ordering his removal.

A Contentious National Debate

The deportation has sparked protests and condemnation from veterans' advocacy groups, who argue it is a failure of the U.S. system to care for its soldiers. Ricardo Reyes, executive director of Vets Forward, called the deportation a “national disgrace,” stating that Barco's military service was ignored during immigration proceedings. Advocates contend that the violent outburst leading to his conviction was a direct result of his untreated combat-related trauma. His family and legal team were reportedly not notified of the specific plans for his deportation and, as of Friday evening, had not received direct confirmation of his location in Nogales, Mexico. Anna Stout, a volunteer on his defense team, described the process as “frustrating” and the situation as “horrific.”

Global Context: Deportation of Non-Citizen Veterans

While this case has no direct link to Kenya or East Africa, it underscores a significant and controversial aspect of U.S. immigration law. The practice of deporting non-citizen veterans, particularly those with criminal records, has affected thousands. U.S. law allows for legal permanent residents to be deported if convicted of certain crimes, including aggravated felonies. A 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that ICE does not consistently follow its own policies that require additional consideration for veterans and does not maintain complete data on how many have been removed. The report identified 92 veterans who were deported between 2013 and 2018.

Advocates argue this amounts to a second punishment for individuals who have already served prison sentences for their crimes. Furthermore, deportation often cuts veterans off from essential healthcare and benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which are nearly impossible to access from abroad. The issue remains a point of legislative debate in the U.S., with calls for reforms like the Veteran Service Recognition Act to better protect non-citizen service members from deportation and streamline the naturalization process. For now, the deportation of veterans like Jose Barco continues to highlight the complex intersection of military service, immigration status, and criminal justice in the United States.